Industrial automation systems can include input and output modules, industrial controllers, Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs), and a control network used for communication. It can also include one or more engineering stations used for configuring the entire system, including HMIs and industrial controllers.
The industrial controller is a device that performs process control. It has various types of function blocks that execute control calculations and the input/output functions, such as the process input/output and the software input/output.
Conventional systems and methods or function blocks perform input processing, calculation processing, and output processing in sequence for an input signal read from the input terminal, and writes an output signal from the output terminal. It also performs alarm processing when an abnormality is detected in input, calculation, or output. Each function block that is configured to be used in an industrial controller has an associated tag name.
Most abnormalities in the plant have an associated alarm. Alarms can be of two types, such as a process alarm and a system alarm. Process alarms originate from the industrial controller. The industrial controller detects an abnormality in the process from values, such as the process variable (PV) and a manipulated output value (MV), and reflects this in the function block alarm status. At the same time, the industrial controller consolidates the detection results and gives notification of these to the HMI (operation and monitoring function) as a message. Alarm processing is found in each function block.
The alarm generated from a function block can have a different status, such as input open (IOP+, IOP−), input error (BAD), input high or low (HH, HI, LO, LL), input velocity (VEL+, VEL−), deviation alarm (DV+, DV−), output open (OOP), output high and output low (MHI, MHL), and bad connection (CNF). The system alarm notifies an operator of an abnormality in the hardware and communication errors. The alarm processing level can be designated for each tag name. The alarms originating from the function block have a designated priority (for example, high, medium, or low). An importance level for each tag name can be specified for example, as important, general, or auxiliary.
The HMI system used in industrial automation usually presents the information to operating personnel graphically in the form of graphics pages (also called process graphics, graphics views, or mimic diagrams). The operator can see a schematic representation of the plant being controlled. For example, a picture of a pump connected to a pipe can illustrate to the operator that the pump is running and how much fluid is pumping through the pipe at the moment. The operator can switch the pump off, if desired. The HMI system shows the flow rate of the fluid in the pipe in real time.
Graphics pages can include line graphics and schematic symbols to represent process elements, or digital photographs of the process equipment overlain with animated symbols. The elements of a graphics page are generally referred to as graphics objects. Graphics objects can be configured to show the process value by associating them with corresponding process tag names. They can also be configured to show the alarm status of associated tag names.
The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention. In addition, aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.